Australian Politics General...

[SirRumpole]

I don't like guilt by allegations either, the point is that Porter is being protected by hi s mates who refuse to hold an inquiry into the allegations. Although the main accuser is dead she reportedly told others what happened who are prepared to give evidence.

Porter will never go to jail for this,the question is whether he is fit to be the highest law officer in the country, or even the Prime Minister.

 

[sptrawler]

I don't like guilt by allegations either, the point is that Porter is being protected by hi s mates who refuse to hold an inquiry into the allegations. Although the main accuser is dead she reportedly told others what happened who are prepared to give evidence.

The problem with that is, it is hearsay, a person could quite easily say to the police and friends you raped them 30 years ago, then go off and suicide, it doesn't prove you did, it proves the person obviuosly didn't like you that's for sure.
The other thing is, as time goes by what people think happened changes, as some memories are reinforced and others fade.
I know from my early life living in an extremely violent household, some of the recollections of my father, are probably not exactly right, some incidents would have been worse than I remember, some would have been less violent than I remember and some possibly I made up or embellished in my hatred. After all these years I couldn't, in all honesty, swear to all my recollections.
I'm not saying the same applies to the lady in question, but it has to be tested, that's the law.

Porter will never go to jail for this,the question is whether he is fit to be the highest law officer in the country, or even the Prime Minister.

Porter will never go to jail for it, which is how the law works, whether his political and private life survives it, is another thing completely, I don't think it will.
Most people will think, where there is smoke there is fire, so my guess is Porters career will suffer.

 

[mullokintyre]

And now former NSW Labour leader Jodi Mackay has joined the long list of retirees.
They are going down like flies.
With the strange goings on in Sth Australia over their newly minted speaker, a recent defector from the Liberal party, these are truly interesting times.
I wonder if the new speaker in SA looked at what happened to the last person who was conned by labour and independants into running for the speaker in Tasmania.
She ran as an independent in the next election and was turfed out.

Mick

 

[basilio]

I don't like guilt by allegations either, the point is that Porter is being protected by hi s mates who refuse to hold an inquiry into the allegations. Although the main accuser is dead she reportedly told others what happened who are prepared to give evidence.

Porter will never go to jail for this,the question is whether he is fit to be the highest law officer in the country, or even the Prime Minister.

Exactly. I believe I made this point repeatedly.

 

[basilio]

The problem with that is, it is hearsay, a person could quite easily say to the police and friends you raped them 30 years ago, then go off and suicide, it doesn't prove you did, it proves the person obviuosly didn't like you that's for sure.
The other thing is, as time goes by what people think happened changes, as some memories are reinforced and others fade.
I know from my early life living in an extremely violent household, some of the recollections of my father, are probably not exactly right, some incidents would have been worse than I remember, some would have been less violent than I remember and some possibly I made up or embellished in my hatred. After all these years I couldn't, in all honesty, swear to all my recollections.
I'm not saying the same applies to the lady in question, but it has to be tested, that's the law.

I agree that memories change and are quite fallible. And if this issue was only brought up 30 years later - yeah very fair comment.
The facts however are that Katherine Thornton raised the rape issue with a number of friends in the immediate years after the alleged assault.

Not only did she write about it in her diaries at the time but she attempted to resolve, in some way. what happened through discussions with friends and even Christian Porter. If you go through the thread I started in this issue these people have already said they can testify as to what they were told back in the early 90's.

Thinking about your experience SP. Yep if you lived in a violent household with many things happening it would make sense that the many events would blur and hopefully somewhat fade away. That is our protective mechanism.

In the Katherine Thornton case we have a young girl from a highly educated upper middle class background allegedly experiencing a traumatic rape at the hands of a young guy from the same background. When one reads the response from Jo Dyer who was her friend at the time it is very easy to feel the horror and shame of such a thing.

 

[sptrawler]

I agree that memories change and are quite fallible. And if this issue was only brought up 30 years later - yeah very fair comment.
The facts however are that Katherine Thornton raised the rape issue with a number of friends in the immediate years after the alleged assault.

Not only did she write about it in her diaries at the time but she attempted to resolve, in some way. what happened through discussions with friends and even Christian Porter. If you go through the thread I started in this issue these people have already said they can testify as to what they were told back in the early 90's.

Thinking about your experience SP. Yep if you lived in a violent household with many things happening it would make sense that the many events would blur and hopefully somewhat fade away. That is our protective mechanism.

In the Katherine Thornton case we have a young girl from a highly educated upper middle class background allegedly experiencing a traumatic rape at the hands of a young guy from the same background. When one reads the response from Jo Dyer who was her friend at the time it is very easy to feel the horror and shame of such a thing.

I don't disagree with you, it is a shame the girl didn't come forward 30 years ago or that one of her friends didn't, unfortunately times were different then. Women were mistreated badly and I personally witnessed it first hand, but that doesn't change the fact that if one party says it happened and the other party says it didn't, it has to go through due process.
Otherwise society fails.

 

[SirRumpole]

but that doesn't change the fact that if one party says it happened and the other party says it didn't, it has to go through due process.

Yes, well the due process (an enquiry) is being blocked, the only process left is the voter's judgement.

 

[SirRumpole]

Meanwhile, back in NSW the new Premier has called for a massive increase in immigration to cover a 'shortage of labour'.

That's terrible news for local workers who have suffered wage stagnation and the gig economy for 10 years due to an oversupply of labour. The simple equation is that if you increase the supply of something you reduce it's price.

Of course there is a shortage of labour now, because most of the country has been in lockdown for a year, but the workers who lost their jobs when their employers went broke haven't died (mostly) or gone to Mars , they are still here and need jobs and should be looked after first imho.

Perrotett has shown himself to be a slave of the employers who only want CHEAP labour, and the influx of many more people would place great demands on services like transport, schools and hospitals.

Let the unemployment rate get down to about 3.5 % before we import more people.

Perrottet backs ‘big NSW’ as immigration debate heats up

‘We’re going to have a real discussion [about] catching up some of those numbers that we’ve lost during this pandemic,’ said NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.

www.afr.com

 

[sptrawler]

Yes, well the due process (an enquiry) is being blocked, the only process left is the voter's judgement.

From my understanding, if you remove bias and emotion from the discussion, there was an investigation by the police, there was an investigation by the media, it was found that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.
So do you keep having investigations until you hopefully find some evidence, how many investigations do you have, before you say well it boils back to who you believe, especially when you can't question one party.
As you say, it will be the voters who cast judgement.

 

[basilio]

there was an investigation by the police,

No there wasn't. The file was closed with no investigation when Katherine Thornton died. The police decided that without a signed statement from Katherine there was nothing they could do.

The media investigation? There certainly was and that centered the various documents and promised affadavits of people who Katherine had spoken to in the years after the alleged event. These could only be properly assessed with a formal investigation ie coronial inquiry or independent officer. Neither has happened to date.

I don't disagree with you, it is a shame the girl didn't come forward 30 years ago or that one of her friends didn't, unfortunately times were different then. Women were mistreated badly and I personally witnessed it first hand, but that doesn't change the fact that if one party says it happened and the other party says it didn't, it has to go through due process.
Otherwise society fails.

The girl was not going to come forward and try and press charges. For all the reasons you mention that was always going to be too difficult.
Her final efforts to expose what had happened were about exposing what she saw as serious character defects in a person who was now Attorney General and on his way to be PM. This has always been about the fitness of Christian Porter for high office. The prosecution boat sailed years ago.

 

[moXJO]

Meanwhile, back in NSW the new Premier has called for a massive increase in immigration to cover a 'shortage of labour'.

That's terrible news for local workers who have suffered wage stagnation and the gig economy for 10 years due to an oversupply of labour. The simple equation is that if you increase the supply of something you reduce it's price.

Of course there is a shortage of labour now, because most of the country has been in lockdown for a year, but the workers who lost their jobs when their employers went broke haven't died (mostly) or gone to Mars , they are still here and need jobs and should be looked after first imho.

Perrotett has shown himself to be a slave of the employers who only want CHEAP labour, and the influx of many more people would place great demands on services like transport, schools and hospitals.

Let the unemployment rate get down to about 3.5 % before we import more people.

Perrottet backs ‘big NSW’ as immigration debate heats up

‘We’re going to have a real discussion [about] catching up some of those numbers that we’ve lost during this pandemic,’ said NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.

www.afr.com

I'm not a fan of this idiot so far. BO and Bjiggles were pretty good for the state. Prot isn't proving himself to be capable.

 

[SirRumpole]

I'm not a fan of this idiot so far. BO and Bjiggles were pretty good for the state. Prot isn't proving himself to be capable.

He's too far Right.

Keeps banging on about business to the exclusion of everything else.

 

[IFocus]

I'm not a fan of this idiot so far. BO and Bjiggles were pretty good for the state. Prot isn't proving himself to be capable.

He has that grinning idiot look about him which just doesn't work for me.

 

[SirRumpole]

He has that grinning idiot look about him which just doesn't work for me.

a la Tony Abbott ?

 

[moXJO]

He has that grinning idiot look about him which just doesn't work for me.

I wish it was just skin deep...

We now seem to have an authoritarian in every state. Noticed WA premier decided to turn twitter comments off in his twitter after his "biker" stomping moment.
People seem to be eating this sht up though. Rule us harder!

 

[moXJO]

He's too far Right.

Keeps banging on about business to the exclusion of everything else.

One of the boys.

 

[IFocus]

I wish it was just skin deep...

We now seem to have an authoritarian in every state. Noticed WA premier decided to turn twitter comments off in his twitter after his "biker" stomping moment.
People seem to be eating this sht up though. Rule us harder!

McGowan is fine I'm getting a second tattoo on the other arm...

 

[moXJO]

McGowan is fine I'm getting a second tattoo on the other arm...

While money is pouring in you tend to not notice.

 

[basilio]

Perrottet Confirms Scott Morrison Will Represent Australia At COP26 Climate Talks

Scott Morrison – a mid-level bureaucrat from the south Sydney electorate of Cook – was told this week that he will be attending the Glasgow climate talks on Australia’s behalf, after a decision by new leader Dominic Perrottet.

Mr Perrottet, who also announced changes to Australia’s border policies this week, said Mr Morrison was chosen because he had a clear diary next month. He said he was awaiting for final approval from the National Party before signing off on the appointment.
Critics say the decision to send a junior member of government shows Australia isn’t taking the issue of climate change seriously. “This Morrison person has very little influence or sway within his own country, he seems an odd choice to send to a national conference,” one government source said.

Mr Perrottet said Morrison would be there on behalf of all Australian fossil fuel companies. He also announced that Australia would be reverting to its former deal with France to build submarines.

Perrottet Confirms Scott Morrison Will Represent Australia At COP26 Climate Talks

He is waiting for final approval from the National Party.

www.theshovel.com.au

 

[mullokintyre]

What is it with the main stream parties that despite all the flak they have copped over the years, they still want to instal their captains picks in a vacant parliamentary seat.
Local members are treated as serfs, expected to front up at election time and do the leg work for the party, organise fund raisers etc, but they should never think themselves so uppity that they get to choose their own candidate.
This time its the the libs at fed level, namely the PM, who have "chosen" a failed state parliamentary hack to run in a federal seat, overiding whatever wishes the local members may have.
How many times do they think they can get away with it?
They wonder why so many disaffected potential candidates end up running as independents.
I hope that constance loses to a popular local person.
Mick